Anglian Water fines to be used to improve local waterways
They're one of several water companies who are involved in the new Water Restoration Fund
Last updated 9th Apr 2024
Anglian Water is among several companies who'll see their fines invested in a new fund to improve local waterways.
The Water Restoration Fund will see up to £11 million in water company fines reinvested, launched by the Government.
The Fund's opened for applications with local charities, groups, landowners and farmers among those who can apply to get grants to improve rivers, lakes streams and wetlands across England.
It's planned the fines from each company will see the money reinvested in the same local area.
Funding from the fines follows several penalties for water companies for environmental breaches, including dumping sewage, forcing them to crack down on improving the state of England's waters.
Boosting wildlife habitats, creating wetlands and improving access to blue and green spaces for the public will all be under consideration for the competitive grants.
£3,085,000 from Anglian Water will be allocated to schemes in the areas the fines were accrewed.
Where else will the Fund be introduced?
Other water companies involved, will also see the funds spread across their local areas, according to the Environment Department (Defra).
They are:
South West Water - £2,150,000
Thames Water - £3,334,000
United Utilities - £800,000
Yorkshire Water - £1,600,750
Those who want to apply for the grant funding will have eight weeks to apply, with awards expected to be issued from late July.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: "I know how important our precious waterways are to local communities and to nature, which is why we're taking tough action to ensure our regulators are well-equipped to hold those who pollute them to account.
"Through the Water Restoration Fund, I will be making sure that money from fines and penalties - taken from water company profits only - is channelled directly back into our waterways.
"Community-led projects are vital to improving and maintaining water quality across the country, and this fund will help build on that success."
Marian Spain, chief executive of Government nature agency Natural England, said: "The fund is great opportunity for landowners, communities and nature bodies to help make a real difference to the condition of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest and to restore natural processes in catchments to provide the nature and health benefits that society needs from water."
What do campaigners say?
Campaign group We Own It have responded to the announcement, saying it doesn't help to end the situation where private operators can profit from pollution.
The group want to see public ownership of services including water.
Cat Hobbs, the director of We Own It, said; "It's a crazy way to run a water system - letting shareholders from around the world make money by failing to invest and then punishing them with fines so meagre they are simply seen as the cost of doing business.
"What happens to this meagre amount of money is almost irrelevant. This new policy shows that the Government is wilfully failing to grasp the scale of the challenge of cleaning up our rivers and seas, and the options available.
"Only a steady return of water companies to public hands, with local communities represented on boards, will give English people the powers we need to protect our rivers and seas."